Throttle valve



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c. RINGEL THROTTLE VALVE Filed Dec. 16, 1926 (H4/PL E5 7PM/QSL ,IN VEN TOR. m

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01. ...www v Patented Get. 30, 1928.

UNITED STATES insane PATENT ori-ica CHARLES RINGEL, OF NORTH HAWTHORNE, NER-J JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SUPER- I-IEATER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

THROTTLE VALVE.

Application filed December 16, 1926.

My invention relates to locomotive throttle valves and is an improvement upon the type ot valve disclosed in Reissue Patent No. 16,285, granted March 9th, 1926, to R, M. Brown.

In the type ot valve disclosed in the above patentwherein the steam passing to the locomotive engine is controlled by a series oi' poppet valves located in the header of a superheater, considerable di'lliculty has been experienced in lift-ing these valves against the pressure of steam in the boiler, and it has been suggested, as', .for example, in the application ot' R. M. Brown, Serial Number 24,802, filed April 21st, 1925, that this dilliculty be overcome by the balancing ot' these valves through the medium ot a suitable balancing chamber cast -in the superheater header, in which balancing pistons Vtor the several valves are arranged.

The present invention has for its principal object the provision ot a no vel torni oit balanced valve suitable for incorporation in a superheater headerwhich will eliminateA the diiliculties heretofore encountered. because of the expansion and contraction of the walls of the header under dillerent conditions. A further object of the invention is the provision oi"V a balanced valve mechanism, the several elements of which may be readily removed from the header either singly or as a unit. Other and more detailed objects of the invention and the advantages to be derived trom the use thereof will appear more lully in connection with the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical section taken through a superheater equipped with a throttle constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation talren along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with portions o'l' the structure broken away for the salie of cleariiess, and Fig. 3 is a detail on a larger scale of the valve construction.

Referring now to the drawings, the torward end of the boiler is indicated generally at 10 with the steam dry pipe 11 passing thi'ough the forward flue sheet 12 and connecting with the saturated or inlet header 13 of the superheater located in the smoke-box 14. Steam passes from the header 13 through the superheater elements 14 located in lues 15 to the superlieater or outlet Serial No. 155,285.

header 16, the latter being subdivided into a steam inlet chamber 17 and a steam outlet chamber 13 by the partition 19. The partition 19 is provided along its length with a plurality of ports 20 'from around each ot which a valve cage 21 is supported by the partition 19. The several cages 21 may, if desired, be formed integrally with the header casting but are preferably separate elements as illustrated in the figure. It made separately the cages 21 may be made a press fit in the partition, or other means for removably seeuring them with a steam-tight joint may he employed 'such as by threading or bolting. Y y Each cage 21 is cylindrical in form and at its open upper end is bevelled to form a valve seat 22, while the lowei' end is formed with a small central aperture 23. The side walls or" cage 21 are provided below the partition 19 with a plurality of ports 24 providingl communication between the interior of the valve cage and the steam outlet chamber `18. The valves 25 ai'e of the poppet type, having a hollow stem extending outwardly at its lower end to form a piston 26 fitting the lower poi'- tion o i the cylindrical valve cage below the level. of ports 24. The length of the stem ol valve 25 is such that when the valve is seated` against the seat 22, the piston 26 is slightly above the bottom of the valve cage so that a small cl'iamber is formed betweeiithe bottom ot the cage and the piston 26. The central opening' 25 in the valve stem extends entirely through the valve and at its upper end there is formed a valve seat 27 adapted to receive a pilot valve 23 having a luted stein 29 eX- tending through the central opening 25 in the valve 25. The stem 29 is connected at its lower end to a cylindrical stein 30, the latter extending through the opening 23 in the hottom of the valve cage and heilig channelled near .its lowei' end to receive a cam arm 31 attached to the operating cam shaft 32. Be*- tween the valve stem 29 and the stein 30 there is preferably secured a washer 33 larger in diameter than the opening 25 and spaced, when valve 28 is seateda short distance below piston 26. The purpose of washer 33 is to provide a suitably large bearing surface 'for lifting the main valve, but this is obviously not essential, as any projection on the valve stem will serve equally well.

Above each of the ports 20 an opening 34 is provided in the upper Wall of the header 16, and these openings are normally closed by suitably secured cover plates 35. rEhe sheet 36 forming the locomotive smoke-box is provided with suitable openings above the header 16, and these openings are closed by removable t, ver plates 37 so that access may be had through the top of the smoke-box to the valves located in the header 1G.

The cam shaft 32 extends through suitable stuffing bones from the interior of the chamber 18 to the exterior of the smoke-box, Where it is connected to the throttle operating reach rod 38.

The operation of each valve is as follows: Assuming the valve to be in the position shown in `Fig. 3, with superheated steam under pressure in the chamber 17, movement of the cam shaft 32 in a clockwise direction (as viewed in Fig. 3) serves to lift the pilot valve 28 and admit steam past the fluted stem 29 into the chamber formed by the bottom of the valve cage 21 and piston 26. As the piston 26 is of the same diameter as the valve 25, the latter is substantially balanced by the pressure of steam below the piston, and With the valve thus balanced further c-loclr- Wise movement of the cam shaft 32 serves to lift the valve 25 from its seat through the medium of the collar or Washer 33 contacting with the lower face of the piston 26. Vvlith the main valve 25 lifted from its seat, steam is then free to pass from the inlet chamber 17 through the ports 24C in the valve cage 21 to the outlet chamber 18 and from the latter to the steam pipes 39 leading to the engine.

It is to be noted that with valves constructed in accordance with my invention the entire valve structure including the balancing means is housed Within the valve cage so that the entire assembly may be removed as a unit from the header for purposes of repairing or re-grinding the valves. To remove the valve 25 and the pilot valve 28, it is only necessary to remove the cover plates 37 and 35 and lift this unit out, as the cam arm 31 Will slide out of the channel in the stem 30 as the latter is lifted. After the removal of valves 29 and 28 the cage, if separate and pressed into the header partition 19 as illustrated, may be removed by any suitable form of puller engaging the cage through the bottom opening 23 or the ports 24E.

By the use of my invention the difficulties heretofore encountered in keeping the valves properly seated because of unequal eXpansion in the Walls of the header casting are eliminated, as in the case of my invention the main valves 25, the balancing pistons 26 and the pilot valvesl 28 are all supported in a small symmetrically formed cage supported only over one narrow circumferential areaJ so that it not subjected to strains or distortion caused by the expansion and contract-ion of the header Walls.

It will be apparent that the several valves may be opened serially as described in the above mentioned patent or may be simultaneously opened if desired, ancL it will be further apparent that the invention is applicable to throttles of a type other than that shovn.

lllhile I have, in accordance with the patent statutes, described and illustrated a specific embodiment of my invention, it is 'to be understood that the example 1 have chosen is illustrative only and that 1 do not limit myself thereby but may advantageously use eertain elements only of the disclosure Without departing from the spirit of the invention, Which is 'furthermore to be considered as including all such changes and modifications as may fall Within the scopeV of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A balanced valve unit comprising` a cylindrical valve cage having an open end forming a valve seat, a plurality of side Wall ports and a closed end having a central opening therein, a. main valve adapted to engage said seat and having a hollow stem terminating in a piston engaging said cage adjacent its closed end, a pilot valve adapted to seat in said main valve, a pilot valve stem having a fluted portion passing through said main valve stem and an extended portion passing through and closing said central opening, and a projection on said pilot valve stem adapted to engage said piston to lift the main valve.

2. In a locomotive, an elongated header, a partition dividing it longitudinally into two chambers, a plurality of alined apertures in the partition, connections to deliver steam to one of said chambers, connections to take off steam from the other, a plurality of balanced valve units each constructed according to claim 1 and each fixed in one of said apertures, access means in the chamber Wall opposite each unit through which it can be inserted and removed, the extended portions of the pilot valve ste-ms being in alinement, a shaft in proximity to and parallel to said extended portions, a series of cams on said shaft and adapted to engage said portions and to actuate the valves when the shaft rotates.

CHARLES RINGEL. 

